September was a chill month and reading-wise it was my best month yet this year. I read 8 books which is quite a lot considering I am neck deep in college assignments. The books I read this month were really amazing and I finally found time to re-read my favourite series of all time.
So, here are the books I read this month:
Book: The Nickel Boys
Author: Colson Whitehead
Rating: 5/5
Synopsis: When Elwood Curtis, a black boy growing up in 1960s Tallahassee, is unfairly sentenced to a juvenile reformatory called the Nickel Academy, he finds himself trapped in a grotesque chamber of horrors. Elwood’s only salvation is his friendship with fellow “delinquent” Turner, which deepens despite Turner’s conviction that Elwood is hopelessly naive, that the world is crooked, and that the only way to survive is to scheme and avoid trouble. As life at the Academy becomes ever more perilous, the tension between Elwood’s ideals and Turner’s scepticism leads to a decision whose repercussions will echo down the decades.
Based on the real story of a reform school that operated for 111 years and warped the lives of thousands of children, The Nickel Boys is a devastating, driven narrative that showcases a great American novelist writing at the height of his powers.
My thoughts: I picked this book up and I read it in one sitting. A heartbreaking story, The Nickel Boys has quickly become one of my favourite books of 2020. The writing is simple yet so effective. The manner in which the author treats his characters is so refreshing to read. I would definitely recommend this book and I look forward to reading his other works.
Check out my full review here.
Book: Kingdom of Ash
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Rating: 5/5
Synopsis: Aelin Galathynius's journey from slave to assassin to queen reaches its heart-rending finale as war erupts across her world …
She has risked everything to save her people – but at a tremendous cost. Locked in an iron coffin by the Queen of the Fae, Aelin must draw upon her fiery will to endure the months of torture inflicted upon her. The knowledge that yielding to Maeve will doom those she loves keeps her from breaking, but her resolve is unravelling with each passing day…
With Aelin imprisoned, Aedion and Lysandra are the last line of defence keeping Terrasen from utter destruction. But even the many allies they've gathered to battle Erawan's hordes might not be enough to save the kingdom. Scattered throughout the continent and racing against time, Chaol, Manon, and Dorian must forge their own paths to meet their destinies. And across the sea Rowan hunts to find his captured wife and queen – before she is lost to him.
Some bonds will deepen and others be severed forever, but as the threads of fate weave together at last, all must fight if they are to find salvation – and a better world.
My thoughts: I spent my entire quarantine reading this series and to read the conclusion was to part with these characters, who had become my companions of sorts. For six months, I was on a journey with them, on a great adventure filled with magic and love. I love the conclusion and I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. (Also Feysand mention in the novel….I squealed!!)
Book: Madame Bovary
Author: Gustave Flaubert
Rating: 3.5/5
Synopsis: Flaubert's protagonist is Emma Bovary, a young, beautiful girl who wishes deeply for romantic love, wealth, and social status, which are out of her reach due to her marriage to Charles Bovary, a middle-class doctor. Emma's dissatisfaction leads to extra-marital affairs, extreme selfishness, and illnesses following ended romances. The climax occurs when Emma's creditor, Lheureux, obtains a court order to seize her property because she has not paid her debts. Emma cannot find financial help anywhere, so she eats a handful of arsenic to escape the situation she has created. After Emma's death, Charles becomes very poor, discovers Emma's infidelities, and dies.
My thoughts: I really enjoyed the story but the only thing was the detailing in the novel made the
story slow and it wasn’t as much as a page-turner either. I really liked the book for its genre i.e realism and I really liked psychoanalysing the characters as I went on reading.
Check out my full review here.
Book: We Are Okay
Author: Nina LaCour
Rating: 4.5/5
Synopsis: You go through life thinking there’s so much you need. . . . Until you leave with only your phone, your wallet, and a picture of your mother. Marin hasn’t spoken to anyone from her old life since the day she left everything behind. No one knows the truth about those final weeks. Not even her best friend Mabel. But even thousands of miles away from the California coast, at college in New York, Marin still feels the pull of the life and tragedy she’s tried to outrun. Now, months later, alone in an emptied dorm for winter break, Marin waits. Mabel is coming to visit and Marin will be forced to face everything that’s been left unsaid and finally confront the loneliness that has made a home in her heart.
My thoughts: I really love this book. It is such a beautiful story of grief and sadness. The characters are well-crafted and are sympathetic. And the book is engrossing- it immediately pulls the reader into the story from the first word. A must-read young adult novel.
Check out my full review here.
Book: A Thousand Faces of Night
Author: Githa Hariharan
Rating: 5/5
Synopsis: What makes a dutiful daughter, wife, and mother? What makes a good Indian woman?
Devi returns to Madras with an American degree, only to be sucked in by the old order of things-a demanding mother’s love, a suitable but hollow marriage, an unsuitable lover who offers a brief escape. But the women of the hoary past come back to claim Devi through myth and story, music and memory. They show her what it is to stay and endure what it is to break free and move on. Sita has been the ideal daughter-in-law, wife and mother. But now that she has arranged a marriage for her daughter she has to come to terms with an old dream of her own. Mayamma knows how to survive as the old family retainer, bending the way the wind blows. But, through Devi, she too can see a different life.
A subtle and tender tale of women’s lives in India, this award-winning novel is structured with the delicacy and precision of a piece of music. Fusing myth, tale and the real voices of different women, The Thousand Faces of Night brings alive the underworld of Indian women’s lives.
My thoughts: Hands down the best novel I have been prescribed in my syllabus. An Indian-feminist novel, which is so well-written, looks at the plight of various female characters from all generations- giving a clear picture of how intricately patriarchy is woven. I’d recommend this book eyes closed; it’s a must-read for everyone.
(I read this for my class, so I am not counting it towards my reading goal)
Book: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Rating: 5/5
Synopsis: A Court of Thorns and Roses series is a series of books by Sarah J. Maas which retells multiple fairy tales including The Beauty and the Beast and Hades and Persephone with faerie lore.
It was most likely inspired by the so-called "first Scottish fairytale", The Border ballad. This ballad tells the tale of Tam Lin, a knight who gets captured by the queen of fairies while hunting.
My thoughts: This is my favourite series of all time. ACOTAR means a lot to me because I helped me fight my demons and has given me hope and joy. I would never, in my life, ever forget what this series has done for me.
It was really great re-visiting this world, these characters and the story. I first read it in 2016 and now, fours years later, I re-read it and it still has those same effects on me.
I am eagerly waiting for ACOSF (coming out on 16th February 2021) since Cassian is my favourite character in the series.
In September, I decided to take a step back from creating continuous content. I had been doing it for the past 3 months and I needed a break because I was kind of losing my creativity due to the constant need to post, and also the fact that I have been drowning in college assignments.
This month, I changed my theme for pictures- going for a more beige/vintage aesthetic which I am really enjoying. I tried my hands at using various new props and toyed with a couple of editing softwares, which was really fun and helped me regain my creative thinking. Also, on my Instagram, I also experimented with creating reels which has been fun.
❤️ A massive thank you for loving the reviews and the recommendations. ❤️
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